A case of infantile tinea of vellus hair confirmed by dermoscopy and scanning electron microscopy and detection of infected source

Abstract

Tinea of vellus hair is an unusual form of superficial skin infection, with a distinct prognosis from ordinary tinea. We report a case of tinea of vellus hair in a 7-month-old infant. Infected hairs were observed by dermoscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection confirmed the pet cat as a source causing the infection. A literature review was performed to summarize the clinical characteristics of this form of infection.

Keywords: Microsporum canis; dermoscopy; itraconazole oral solution; scanning electron microscopy; single nucleotide polymorphism; tinea of vellus hair.